The sound of the force of the rock startled me, and it left about a nickel-sized crack.
I did go to Google first for my questions, but then more questions arose:
Number 4 is the most pertinent. You need to check out your coverage.
My insurance company will pay for a company to come out (no deductible) and fix the crack before it spreads.
If you get it in time you can fix it, wait too long then the cracks will spread and eventually the police will pull you over and give you a repair order. Then you need a new windshield, possibly have a deductible and you’ll have to get the repair order signed and turned in or the MVA will suspend your tags.
Much cheaper and easier to get it fixed now.
When a rock from the overhead interstate chipped my windshield the SNAP was so loud it was scary. It didn’t crack so I’m no help but if you are even close to as pissed off as I was you have my condolences.
In the past three weeks, I had to shell out $650 for a CT scan and overpaid about $500 on car maintenance. Last Friday, on my way to work, a stone got thrown up and split my windshield right down the middle. $300 bucks; insurance deductible is $500, so I’m on the hook for the full amount.
So I guess what I’m sayin’ is I sympathize with the OP.
Anyway, if there is no crack longer than an inch or so, it should be repairable.
I did some digging a while back when my windshield cracked and I had to pay for it. Whichever one it is that covers that (I get them all mixed up) is typically set at $500 because the most common claim is for windshields and that’s usually $300-$400 so you end up having to pay for it yourself. Also, making a claim for a broken windshield here and there doesn’t (shouldn’t) raise your rates because it’s not something that’s your fault or that you could have avoided. Though if you did it over and over, I’m sure they could make a good case to raise your rates based on that.
Having said all that, I changed by deductible from $500 to $50 and my premium went up by something like $2.00 or $3.00 per month. IMO, that was worth it to pay $50 for the next one instead of $400.
I’m an insurance agent and it is amazing how expensive Full Glass Coverage costs. On my 2012 Mazda CX-9 (large SUV) it would have added $94/year to add FGC to my policy. But dropping my Comprehensive (aka Other Than Collision) deductible from $250 to $100 only added $28/year! If I ever need to replace my windshield, it will cost me the $100 deductible and that’s it.
I had a very nasty rock-meets-windshield (after skittering over the hood) incident last year. It took a chunk out of the windshield about the size of an small green pea. The chip was surrounded by spidering cracks and it was about the size of a quarter overall.
I called SafeLite to repair it (free) and they came out and did so. But the thing they don’t mention on their ads is that the damaged area is still VERY noticeable even after they have ‘repaired it’! They inject their resin into the damaged area to reinforce the area and prevent the cracks from getting any larger. But mine is dead-center in my field of sight when I look out the windshield and it drives me crazy! I plan to replace the entire windshield in the next month or so.
Happened a month or so ago to a car pool buddy when I was in the car. Insurance covered the repair to the chip with no charge. It’s cheaper for them to repair a small divot than to replace the windshield, even with the deductible.
I never bother with glass coverage as I replace my windshield roughly every two years (the joys of living in N.Alberta) and the cost of coverage works out to be more than paying out of pocket.
I had a rock the size of a squash ball embed itself in my glass and spray windshield bits all over my SO. She wasn’t happy to say the least. That was courtesy of a pickup without mudguards.
I also had a gravel truck with an unsecured load (no tarp) drop a rock on the windshield I just replaced that day as I was driving home from Edmonton on the highway…The air was filled with curse words like you have never heard. If I had time, I would have turned around to get his lic # and had the company pay for it, but I was in a time crunch.
In your case I would take the car in and see if they can repair it. Most places charge a minimal fee and if it spreads they will credit that back toward a new windshield; YMMV. Most cars use the glass a structural component and the air bags won’t function properly if it fails, so it is definitely not something you want to ignore.
This spider/star crack is really very small. I don’t think I’m going to do anything at this point unless it gets bigger.
Now that I’m thinking of bigger, there was damage to my vehicle’s roof when I bought it. They say an acorn hit it. It’s rusty. The paint seems to be chipping away more and more. I think that is far more of a priority than a small crack in my windshield?
Oh?? Wow. Eeek!
Bwaaaahaaaaaaaaaaaaa [deep breath] BwaaaaaaaaaaaaHaaaaaaa. Where the hell did you get that idea? Not even close to right.
Structural component? Yes. A crack or a break interfering with bag deployment? No effin way.
I once got a rock chip on a rental vehicle on the second day of a long road trip. I knew it was a bad idea to let it go, but I didn’t want the hassle of dealing with the rental company (a certain waste of a day or more of vacation). So I stopped at an Safelite Glass shop, got the chip repaired in 30 minutes, and was on my way. When I returned the car off and pointed out the repair, the person at the rental place couldn’t believe a customer would a)actually admit the damage, and b)get it repaired on their own. They couldn’t figure out how to reimburse me the $60, but I was okay with it–it was worth it to not worry about that chip turning into a major crack.
What should a repaired chip or spider crack look like, anyway? The dealership repaired mine a couple of months ago when my car was in for other service. I guess I sort of thought that this type of repair basically left the window looking like clear glass, as it was before the crack appeared. When I got the car back, it just looked like I had kind of a smudged version of what I’d had before- a little blurry oval, not unlike those distant galaxies you see in deep space photos. When the sun hits it at the right angle I can see the glint off a small crack that’s still emanating outward from it.
Do I have the wrong idea about what this repair does, or did my dealer do a crappy job?
You can get DIY chip/crack repair kits at most auto parts places. I used one a few years ago, and sure, the end result looks like I spent $15 on it, but guess what? I spent $15 for the repair kit. Perfection was not a requirement as the chip was off on the right side and only noticeable to a passenger.
Before you do that, you may want to drop by the local Safelite shop to see if they can promise a better result for not much more money.
As far as cracks or chips and “fix-it” tickets or similar hassles, that will depend on your state. Around here, pretty much any glass damage is tolerated as long as it does not damage the windshield wipers. Other states will ding you for pretty much anything bigger than a pinhead.
I’ve run in to glass repair “representatives” at car washes lately–they catch customers at the vacuum station and “helpfully” point out any kind of windshield damage. They tell people that they can fix it for “free” (technically true, but it still seems kind of scammy) Once the customer bites, they’re on the phone to the insurance company within seconds arranging for the repair.
